Multicopying device



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 YH F. W. STORCK IULTIGOPYING DEVICE Filed June 3, 1929 5151n3 sept. 12, 1933.

Sept. 12, 1933.

F. W. STORCK MULTICOPYING DEVICE June 3, 1929 Fil Sept. 12, 1933. F. w. sToRcK KULTICOPYING DEVICE 5 sheets-sheet s Sept. l2, 1933. F. w. sToRcK IULTICOPYING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet y 4 Filed June 3, 1929 sept- 12, 1933 w. sToRcK 1,926,317

uuLTIcoPYING DEVICE Filed June 3. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept. V12, 19.33

IUNITED STATES Frederick MULrIccPvING nevica w.. stonk, West some1-vine, Mass.,

assignor to Standard Mailing Machines Company, Everett, Mass.,` a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 3, 1929. Serial No. 367,950

19 Claims.

My invention relates generally to printing apparatus and more to multicopying apparatus of the rotarytype, designed to produce by the hectographic process copies of writings and other ink delineations. 'Ihe object of my invention is to provide simple, convenient and elcient means for producing copies, as aforesaid, in an easy, expeditious and accurate manner; and to that end it consists in the constructions and combination of mechanisms. as hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig; 1 is a side view of my device.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the paper feed table, showing in reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, in reduced scale, when the rotary member is in such position that the radial stop plate is extended to thrust the end ofthe printed sheet towardthe stripping rollers.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the member for supporting one end of the flexible gelatin strip and drawing it tightly into engagement with the cylindrical supporting surface, this view being partly in cross-section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is across-section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a rear end view of my device.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section on line 8 8 of Fig. 7 showing the method of mounting the lower stripping roller.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on line 9 9 of 7.-

Fg. 10 is a top view, in reduced scale, ofthe curved plate mounted within the rotary member, showing also, in cross-section. the adjacent 11ngers of the radial stop plate.

Figs. 11,12 and 13` are longitudinal sectional 'views of a diagrammatic nature, illustrating various positions of the rotary printing member at different stages of operation to beA later described.

Fig. 14 is a top view of the flexible gelatin strip showing the arrangement for attaching the strip to its rotary support.

Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate the method of attaching metal reinforcing strips to the ends of fabric whereon the gelatin is spread, Fig. 16 be ing a section on line 1-6-16 of Fig. 14.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, in which lkereference numbers indicate like parts, 1 is a base provided at each corner with a rubber pad or foot 2 attached thereto by means of a screw 3 (Fig. 7). A supporting frame 4 is attached to the top of the base 1. Transversely mounted in the frame 4 is a xed shaft 5 the turning of shaft 26. A set v(Cl'. 101-132) which is held from rotating by a pin 6 which enters a slot -7 in the frame 4. (Figs. 3 and 6.) Nuts 8 are screwed upon the ends of the shaft 5 where they protrude through the opposite sides of the frame 4. Mounted upon bushings 9 on 60 each end of the shaft 5 and within the sides of the frame 4 are circular plates 10v which are spaced apart by four cross-brace rods 11 located near their peripheries. (Figs. 3 and `9.) These rods ll are retained in place by screws 12 which 65 pass through holes in the plates 10 and enter threaded holes in the ends of the rods 11. There are also cross-rods 13 and 14 (Fig. 9) retained in position respectively by screws 15 and 16.v The outer edges of the circular plates 10 are 70 channeled and bent over to embrace and retain the curved'sides of a surface or face plate 17 which is concentric with the shaft 5 and which embraces slightly more than half of a circumference. The ends of this plate 17 are bent in- 75 wardly, the end 18 being provided with a row-of projections or studs 19 (Fig. 9). which may enter perforations 20 in one end of a. fabric strip 21 provided with a gelatin coating 22. (Fig. 14.) 'Ihe ends of the -fabric strip 21 are reinforced`4 S0 along the rows of perforations 20 by metal strips 23 attached to the fabric by inserting the ends of the fabric within a single fold of thin sheet metal, as indicated in Fig. 15, compressing the single fom of sheet metal closely about the fabric and then folding the sheet metal and enclosed fabric once more, is indicated in Fig. 16.

One end of the fabric strip 21 having been attached, as above described, to the projections 19 the strip is then passed over the face plate 17', 90 and the other end is similarly attached to the studs 24 on the rolled tube 25, (Figs. 4, 5 and 9) which is spot-welded to a hexagonal shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted between the side plates 10.

y Frictional resistance to the rotation of the shaft 26 and the tube 25 is provided in the following-described manner. A bushing 27 provided with an integral annular boss 28 is mounted on, the hexagonal shaft 2s by the bushing 2'1 10 extending through the circular plate 10..v Between the plate 10 and the boss 28 is a flat washer 29 and a spring washer 30. The exterior of the bushing 27 is threaded to receive a nut `31 which, when screwed up thereonagainst the circular plate 10, will compress the spring vwasleivfl() so as to cause considerable frictional resistance to o screw 32 is provided tolock the nut 31 in thedesired position of 1 10 adjustment.

The bushing 27 is provided with a central hexagonal opening 33 (Fig. 1) into which the shaft 26 extends only part way, fitting closely therein. Hence, a hexagonal key 34, provided with a handle 35, may be entered in the opening 33 of the bushing 27, so that the bushing 27 and the hexagonal shaft 26 mounted therein may be partially rotatedA manually tol pull the fabric strip 21 tightly over the plate 17'after the end of the fabric strip 21 has been attached to the lugs 24 thereon.

It will be observed from Fig. 9 of thedrawings that the face plate 17 covers slightlymore than one-half of a full circumference, thereby forming a drum with a large opening which is, however, closed by a substantially inset curved plate 36 the radius of curvature of which is less than the radius of curvature of the face plate 17. This curved plate 36 has an integral extension at one end forming a hook 37, which partly embraces -the cross-rod 13. Adjacent the other end of the plate 36 is a row of holes 38 through which may pass screws 39, which enter threaded -holes in the cross-rod 14, thereby attaching the plate securely to this cross-rod 14. This end of the curved plate 36 is provided at opposite corners with a pair of slots 40 and a row of recesses 41 through which slots and recesses extend the feed guide ngers 421, which are integral parts of a plate 43. This lplate 43 has two integral extensions 44 bent into cylindrical form so that each embraces with close running fit a separate wooden cylindrical cam block 45 which is mounted in an eccentric position on the xed shaft 5 and attached thereto by means of a pin 46 which passes through the shaft 5 and is riveted thereto. (See Figs. 3 and 9.)

Across the top of the frame 4 is a transverse bracket plate 47 attached by means of screws 48. To this transverse bracket plate 47 is detachably mounted a thin sheet metal tray 49, having integral turned-up sides 49a, for holding sheets of paper 50 to be printed upon. One of the sides 49a has an inwardly-turned flange 49h. (Fig. 2.) The front end of the tray 49 is provided with a bent-under tongue or clip 51 which may be slid beneath the transverse plate 47 so as to hold the tray 49 in place. The rear end of the tray 49 is supported by a brace rod 52 hingedly attached thereto by a pin 53 whichA passes through holes in two dependent klugs 54 which are integral parts of a casting 55 attached by rivets 56 to the bottom of the tray 49. 'I'he end 57 of the brace rod 52 is slightly flattened to permit it to enter between the lugs 54 and this flattened end is provided with a hole through which the pin 53 may pass. The lower end58 of thebrace rod 52 is somewhat reduced in diameter and adapted to fit within a hole in the base 1. The tray 49 may be sprung upward slightly to permit the end 58 of rod 52 to enter its hole in base 1.

In one side of the tray 49 there is a, short transversely extending slot 59 about the edges of which y there is a slightly depressed area of the tray 49, thereby forming a groove within which may slide a hollow post 60 provided with an integral annular ange 61. Passing upward through the post 60 isa pin 62, the annular integral head 63 of which bridges the slot 59 through which the pin 62 freely passes. The top of the pin 62 is threaded to receive the thumb nut 64. It will be readily apparent that by loosening the thumb nut 64 the position of the post 60 may be shifted along the slot 59 and it may be clamped into any desired position by setting up the thumb nut 64.

Mounted transversely near the top of the supporting frame 4, between' the sides thereof, and beneath the inner end of the tray 49 is a rubber roller 66 fast mounted on a shaft 67. The ends of the shaft 67 are provided with' wooden bushings 68 which are slidably mounted in rectangular slots 69 in the opposite sides of the frame 4. Each slot 69 is provided with a narrow rectangular extension 70 in which is pocketed a coil spring 71! which bears at one end on the bottom of pocket 70 and at its other en'd upon the wooden bushing 68. To prevent endwise movement of the shaft 67 and dislocation of the springs 71, plates 72 are attached to the opposite outer sides of frame 4 and plates 73 to the opposite inner sides. The plates 72 each extend partly over the adjacent end of the shaft 67 and its wooden bushing 68, but the plates 73 are shorter so as not to interfere with the movement of the shaft 67 whensliding in a direction perpendicular to its axis. Each pair of plates 72 and 73 is held in position by a pair of bolts 74 and nuts 75. The position of the roller 66 is such that when the flexible fabric strip 21, carrying the gelatin coating 22, is mounted, as above described, upon the face plate 17, the gelatin coating 22 will, as it revolves, contact with the roller 66 and displace it slightly against the resistance of the springs 71.

Mounted transversely at the end of frame 4, opposite that carrying the roller 66, is another rubber roller 76, the shaft 77 of which is likewise mounted so as to slide in a direction perpendicular to its axis, its ends being provided with wooden bushings 78 slidably mounted in vertical rectangular slots 79 in opposite sides of the frame 4.

The slots 79 also have narrow upward extensions 80 in which are pocketed coil springs 81, the upper ends of which abut against the bottom of the narrow slot or pocket 80, the lower ends of which contact with the wooden bushing 78. To prevent endwise displacement of the shaft 77, cover plates 82 are provided on the outer faces of the side frame 4, and similar but shorter cover plates 83 on the inner faces, which plates arerespectively retained in position on frame 4 by means of bolts 84 and 85. The springs 81 thrust the roller 76 downwardly into firm engagement with three rubber rollers 86, 87, and 88 carried by a common shaft 89. The shaft 89 has fast thereon a spur gear 90 attached thereto by means of a pin 91 passing through the gear hub 92. The adjacent end of the shaft 89 is journaled in the adjacent side of frame 4 where the opposite end of the shaft is supported by the reduced end 93 (see Fig. 8) of a screw bolt 94 which passes through athreaded hole in the side of frame 4, so that the reduced end 93 of this screw bolt 94 may enter a cylindrical hole in the adjacent end of the shaft 89.

The gear 90 which is fast mounted on shaft 89 meshes with a gear 95 which is concentric with a circularplate 10 to which its offset central portion 96 is attached by welding. The Opposite ciri the circular plates 10 and the face plate 17, there- ,by imparting motion to gear 95, the gear 90 and the shaft 89. Hence rotative motion is imparted to the rollers 86, 87 and 88. The ratio between gears 90 and 95 is such that the peripheral speed of the rollers 86, 87 andv 88 is slightly greater than theV peripheral speed of the face plate 17.

Mounted transversely between opposite sides of frame 4 and above the roller 76 is a rectangular cross-rod 102, the reduced end portions of which are cylindrical and threaded to receive the nuts 103. Attached to this cross-rod 102 by means of screws 104 is a dependent plate 105, the lower part of which is provided with a row of symmetrical notches 106 of size sufficient to permit free passage of the feed guide fingers 42 on plate 43. The lower notched edge of this plate 105 is bent abruptly so as to provide an evenly aligned row of horizontally disposed guide fingers 107, pointing toward the line `of contact of the roller 76 with the rollers 86, 87 and 88. Below the shaft 89 there are mounted transversely between the sides of 'frame v4 small cylindrical cross-rods 108 and 109, whereon is mounted a receiving tray 110, the opposite side edges of which are bent downwardly to stiffen it. This receiving tray 110 is detachably supported by the cross-rods 108 and 109 by hooking the slightly upturned rear edge 111 of the tray under the cross-rod 108, and permitting the opposite end of the tray to drop so that its downwardly turned sides rest on the cross-rod 109. The adjacent downwardly turned sides of the tray 110 are slightly cut away so as to afford shoulders on each side against which the cross-rod 109 may abut. The end of the tray 110 which underlies the rollers`86, 87 and 88 has a cutaway and bent-up portion 112, whichI extends upward slightly between rollers 86 and 87, and a like cutaway and bent-up portion 113 which extends upwardlyvto a position slightly between rollers 87 and 88. These bent-up parts 112 and 113 form stops to prevent the sheets of paper, which pile up on the receiving tray 110, from sliding backward off the tray which is tilted slightly as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of my device is as follows:

A sheet of paper, upon which is written with suitable ink the matter to be copied, is placed face upward upon the tray 49 with one edge contacting with the post 60, the position of which is adjusted for this purpose, and the other edge contacting with the side of the tray which is more remote from the post and toward the operator, who then turns the. handle 100 in a clockwise direction thereby, through gears 98 and 97, revolvingthe drum in an anti-clockwise direction. When the drum has revolved to an extent such that the cutaway portion of its periphery, wherein is located the curved plate 36, is coming into position opposite the tray 49, the sheet of prepared written matter within the tray is advanced by the hand of the operator until the advanced edge or top of the sheet contacts with the plate 36, as shown in Fig. 11. The continued rotation of the drum and the movement of the plate 36 in the direction opposite to that in which the sheet has been advanced will bring the top edge of the sheet in contact with the feed guide fingers 42 along the line where the fingers 42 and the plate 36 meet in an'angular relation.A The continued rotation of the drum, carrying with it the fingers 42, will return the sheet partway towards .its original position, and re-position it at a place where the continued revolving motion of the fingers 42 will merely deflect the front end of the sheet, in the manner shown in Fig. 12, and bend it down into contact with the rubber roller 66. 'Ihe front end of the sheet will then be gripped between the yieldably mounted spring pressed roller 66 and the advancing end of the gelatin-coated strip 21, which is carried by the face plate 17. The feed fingers 42 carried by the plate 43 are, as they pass in proximity to the roller 66, pulled inwardly so as not to contact with the roller 66 by the action of the stationary cylindrical cam 45 within the rotating cylindrical extensions 44 of the plate 43. The continued rotation of the drum with the sheet gripped by the sticky gelatin coating 22 upon its periphery will cause the sheet to be pulled downward between, 'the gelatin-covered portion of the periphery of` the drum and the roller 66, and applied firmly to the surface of the gelatin so as .to absorb, into the surface of the gelatin, ink from the surface of the paper sheet, thus preparing the gelatin surface for the subsequent taking of reprints therefrom. Y

As will be observed from examination of Fig. 9,

`a substantial portion of the top edge of the sheet of paper extends beyond the gelatin surface and does not adhere thereto. As this free end of the sheet approaches the roller 76 and the underlying rollers 86, 87 and 88, the action of the cylindrical cam 45 will thrust the fingers 42 outward in a radial direction until they contact with this free 88 is slightly greater than the peripheral speed4A of the cylindrical surface of the gelatin coating, the sheet of paper is firmly pulled away, or.

stripped, from the surface of the gelatin to which it has been adhering. The sheet will then pass forward and drop into the receiving tray 110. The fingers 42 are permitted to clear the plate 105 and its integral guide fingers 107 by passing through the notches 106 in the plate 105.

The device is now prepared for the making ot' successive imprints or copies from the prepared gelatin coating, and sheets of paper, upon which is to be copied the matter transferred from the original printed sheet to the gelatin-coated surface, /are now placed in a pile in the tray 49 and successively fed by the hand of the operator toward the revolving drum as the cutaway portion of the drum revolves into a position opposite the sheets prior to their advancement, and the sheets are handled by the device precisely as was the master sheet containing matter to be copied, an imprint being taken from the surface of the gelatin.

This hand manipulation of the successive sheets in the process of feeding them toward the printing device is not an exacting matter requiring any special care on the part of the operator. The precise extent to which the sheet is advanced is not amatter of consequence, nor is it a matter of consequence that the sheet may be slightly askew when it first contacts with the fingers 42. All that is required isfthat the sheet be sufficiently advanced to be subjected to some returning infiuence by the fingers 42 which, when they thus encounter it, will return it to a predetermined position with its front) edge properly aligned so that the printing engagement will always be uniformly spaced with respect to the top edge of the sheet, and in true alighment. My device has the great advantage of permitting rapid speed of operation, while, at the same time,

lpermitting a maximum length of contact between the sheet to be imprinted and the gelatin surface from which the imprint is to be taken so that clear and well-inked imprints result. These imprints are, moreover, uniformly and accurately applied to the sheets successively receiving them.

My device has the further advantage that the gelatin-bearing fabric strips are easily placed in position and may readily be replaced or turned end for end when, from repeated use, one end of the gelatin strip has become excessively impregnated with ink while the other end is fairly free from ink.

Having thus fully described my device, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position. Contact means movable in a direction opposite to that in which the sheet is initially advanced and adapted t0 return an advanced sheet part way towards its original position regardless of the precise extent of its initial advancement and re-position it in a definite location, and printing means adapted to operatively engage the sheet when so positioned.

2. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a plate adapted to support the advanced end of a sheet, a member disposed in a substantially rectangular position in relation to said plate, said member and said plate comprising contact means adapted to return an advanced sheet part way towards its original position regardless of the precise extent of its initial advancement and re-position it in a definite location, and printing means adapted to operatively engage the sheet when so positioned.

3. In a device of the character specified, the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum, the cylindrical surface of which is partly cut away, a printing means mounted upon said cylindrical surface, contact means located Within said-drum and adapted to engage and position the advanced end of said sheet, said printing means being adapted to operatively engage all but the advanced end of the sheet, when so positioned, vand feed the same forward.

4. In a device of the character specified, the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum, the cylindrical surface of which is partly cut away, a printing means mounted upon said cylindrical surface, contact means located Within said drum and adapted to engage and position the advanced end of said sheet, said printing means being adapted to operatively engage all but the advanced end of the sheet, when so positioned, and feed the same forward, means for engaging the advanced end of the sheet and pulling the sheet away from said printing means, and means for deecting the advanced end of the sheet toward and into operative engagement with said means for engaging said advanced end of the sheet and pulling the sheet away from said printing means.

5. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is partly cut away, a contact means located within the open portion of said drum and rotatable therewith Aand having its operative portion nearer the axis of said drum than said cylindrical surface, said contact means being adapted, upon the rotation of said drum in a direction opposite to that in which a sheet is initially advanced toward said drum, to engage and return an advanced sheet part way toward its original position regardless of the precise extent of its initial advancement and re-position it in a definite location, such that its advanced end lies within the arc traversed by said cylindrical surface, a printing means carried upon the cylindrical surface of said drum, and a resilient member arranged to contact with said sheet beyond said advanced end and press the same into feeding engagement with said printing means.

6. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is partly cut away, a printing means mounted upon said cylindrical surface, a contact means located within the open portion of said drum and rotatable therewith and having its operative portion nearer the axis of said drum than said printing means, said contact means being adapted, upon the rotation of said drum in a direction opposite to that in which a sheet is initially advanced toward said drum, to engage and return an advanced sheet partway towards its original position regardless of the precise extent of its initial advancement and re-position it in ak definite location, such that its advanced end lies within the arc traversed by said printing means, a resilient member arranged to contact with said sheet beyond said advanced end and press the same into feeding engagement with said printing means, and means whereby the advanced end of said sheet may, following the feeding engagement of saidsheet and said printing means, be thrust outwardly beyond the arc of rotation of said printing means, and means for engaging the sheet when its end lis thus thrust outwardly and stripping it from said printing means.

7. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet t be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is partly cut away, a printing means mounted upon said cylindrical surface, a fixed shaft Whereon said drum is rotatably mounted,a cam mounted upon and ,fixed to said shaft, a plate providedwith guide fingers upon its outer end and ymeans at its opposite end arranged to operatively engage said cam, means for loosely retaining said plate in a manner whereby it may revolve with said drum and reciprocate in response to the influence of said cam, a guide plate mounted within said drum and arranged to co-operate with said guide fingers in a manner whereby it may contact with the advance edge of a sheet of paper and direct it toward and against said guide fingers, a presser means mounted adjacent to said means for sup' porting a sheet to be fed into printing position and adapted to press a sheet into feeding engagement with said printing means, a pair of co-operating rollers mounted adjacent to said drum, means for positively actuating one of said rollers of said pair of co-operating rollers, and a second guide plate provided with notches Aand located between said pair of co-operating rollers and said drum, and adapted to direct the advance end of a sheet of paper carried by-said drum between said rollers, said cam 'being arranged ondguide plate in a manner whereby said guide ngers may pass through the notches of said second guide plate.

8. In a device of the character specified the `combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable`drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening, and a presser means located adjacent the path of travel of the periphery of said drum and adapted to engage one side of said sheet and press that part of the sheet not entered within said opening in said drum into feeding engagement with the periphery of said drum as the other side of said sheet is engaged thereby so as to forward the sheet by said engagement.

9. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening, a presser means located below the level of, said means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position and adjacent the path of travel of the surface of said drum and adapted to engage the under side of the sheet and press that part of the sheet not entered within said opening in said drum against the periphery of the drum as the upper side of the sheet is engaged by the periphery of the drum.

10. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening, a presser means located adjacent the path of travel of the periphery of said drum and adapted to engage one side of said sheet and press that part of the sheet not entered within the opening in said drum into contact with the periphery of said drum as said periphery engages the other side of said sheet, and a sheet contact means located within the periphery of said drum and rotatable therewith, said contact means being adapted to engage the advance edge of a sheet fed into said opening and position said sheet prior to its engagement by and between said presser means and the periphery of said drum.

11. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening, a presser means located adjacent the path of travel of the periphery of said drum and adapted to engage one side of said sheet and press the sheet into contact with the-said periphery as said periphery engages the other side of said sheet, a sheet contact means located within the periphery of said drum vand rotatable therewith, said sheet contact means including a reciprocating member adapted upon the rotation of said drum to contact with and position the advance edge of said sheet and partly overlie the advance end thereof, and means for actuating said reciprocating member .in a manner whereby its extremity may, while passing said presser means, lie wholly within said drum and may thereafter be thrust beyond the periphery of said drum, thereby ejecting the advance edge of said sheet out of and away from said opening in the periphery of said drum.

12. In a device of the character. specied the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is p ovided with an opening adapted to receive the a vance end of a `sheet fed partly into said opening, a guide plate located wholly within said opening and a contact member associated with said guide plate for en gaging the advance edgeof said sheet as it is under the influence of said guide plate.

13. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface vof which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening a guide plate located wholly within said opening and a .contact member associated with said guide plate for engaging the advance edge of said sheet as it is under the iniiuence of said guide plate, said contact member being arranged vin a substantially radial position with respect to said drum.

14. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said openingg'a guide plate located wholly within said opening, a contact member associated with said "guide plate for` 15. In a device of the character specified the v` combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum the cylindrical surface of which is provided with an opening adapted to receive the advance end of a sheet fed partly into said opening, a curved guide plate .located within said opening, the surface of which guide plate is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said drum, and a contact member associated with said guide plate for engaging advance end of said sheet as it is under the inuence of said guide plate, saidcontact member being arranged to extend radially beyond the surface of said guide plate.A

v 16. In a device of the character specified the combination of means for supporting a sheet to be fed into printing position, a rotatable drum lthe cylindrical surface of which is provided with -of said sheet as it is under the influence of said guide plate, said contact member being arranged to extend radially beyond the surface of said guide plate andv means whereby, upon the rotation of said drum, reciprocating movementl may be imparted to said contact member.

17. In a device of the character specied, the combination of a drum, means for clamping a gelatin coated flexible strip to the periphery of the drum, means for feeding and pressing a sheet of paper into contact with said gelatin coated strip with the advanced'end of the sheet free, a plurality of fingers normally located within the drum and movable therewith, means to cause the ends of the fingers to project beyond the periphery of the drum to deflect the free end of the paper outwardly, and feeding means to engage the deflected end of the paper and remove it from the gelatin coated strip.`

18. In a device of the character specified, the combination of a drum means for clamping a gelatin coated flexible strip to the periphery of the drum, means for feeding and pressing a sheet of paper into contact with saidgelatin coated strip with the advanced end of the sheet free, a plurality of ngers normally located within the drum and movable therewith, means to cause the ends of the fingersto project beyond the periphery of the drum to deflect the free end of the paper outwardly, means located within the drum to guide and position the fingers and feeding .means to engage the deflected free end of the sheet and remove it from the gelatin coated strip.

19; In a device of the character specified, the combination of a drum, means for clamping a gelatin coated flexible strip to the periphery of said drum, means for feeding and pressing a sheet of paper into contact with said gelatin coated strip whereby a portion of the advanced end of the sheet is free to be deflected, a plurality of ngers normally located Within the periphery of the drum and rotatable therewith, means located within the drum to cause the fingers to protrude beyond the drum to contact with and deflect the free end of the paper to engage it with feeding means, and said feeding means for removing the sheet of paper from the gelatin strip.

FREDERICK W. STORCK. 

